News

Opposing views

YOUR article Holyrood opposition back 90% of bills (News, last week) misses the fundamental basis of the Scottish parliament’s process.

The opposition is not only present at the Scottish parliament, but has certainly made its mark on Scottish and UK politics in a number of ways.

Take public health as one example of the effect the SNP has had on executive policy. The rekindling of the tobacco advertising bill in Westminster was a direct result of Nicola Sturgeon’s initiative in bringing forward a private member’s bill in Holyrood, thus putting the executive and Westminster in a difficult position.

The figures of the number of executive bills supported by the SNP do not “demonstrate a lack of an effective opposition at the Scottish parliament”; they represent the consultative way in which the parliament works. The committee structure of the Scottish parliament allows intense scrutiny of legislation by parties before the debate